Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's individuality and staying true to one's personal path amidst external influences.

Abstract

The author of the article "Hold on to Yourself in a World of Influences" discusses the significance of self-awareness and personal integrity in a diverse world. Recognizing that everyone has a unique moral compass and life journey, the author suggests that problems arise when external pressures reshape one's path. To prevent this, individuals must first understand their own path and values, potentially through introspective practices like journaling or creating vision boards. The article advocates for surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals while also acknowledging the necessity of balance and the inevitability of encountering differing viewpoints. It uses the metaphor of a buffet to illustrate the idea of selecting influences that align with one's personal taste while not rejecting the existence of other perspectives. The key message is about building a strong personal foundation to withstand the pressures of the world and remain true to oneself.

Opinions

The author believes that the diversity of moral compasses and life stories enriches human experience.
It is important to actively remember and reaffirm one's goals and identity to maintain personal integrity.
The article suggests that spending time with similar-minded individuals can reinforce one's own path.
The author promotes the idea of balance, where one should not completely isolate oneself from differing opinions but also not be swayed by them.
Using a buffet as an analogy, the author expresses that one should selectively engage with diverse influences while staying true to personal preferences.
The author emphasizes that maintaining one's path is a dynamic process and requires active effort.

Hold on to Yourself in a World of Influences

Hold on to who you are

Everyone in this world has a different moral compass. People all over have different backstories and different paths they take in this journey called life.

This is not a bad thing. This part of life makes it beautiful and far from mundane.

However, it can become a problem when other people’s paths begin to drown and morph your unique path into something unrecognizable. It becomes a problem when you find yourself walking down a path you don’t want to. In this state, you can even lose your precious path and forget where you placed it.

Before you can keep your path, you need to be clear on what it is. I have already spoken before about how to find your path, yourself, and the fluidity of it all.

After you are clear on yourself and the path you want to pursue, you have to surround yourself with like-minded people with similar paths. At the same time, you have to be balanced and realistic. Not everyone will have an identical path. We need to strengthen ourselves and develop strategies, so we won’t be toppled over by every bit of wind.

You strengthen yourself by taking some time with you and reminding yourself of your goals and who you are. If you are religious, you might spend some time studying scripture or taking some time to pray as your centering method. Secular methods that we could do to center ourselves are plenty.

I would suggest taking time to complete journal prompts on your ideal self and environment. Spend time creating a digital vision board and making it your screen saver for your computer or phone. You will be reminded of who you want to be and where you want to go on a device you are on every day. Afterward, you can look at your journal entries and your vision board to remind yourself when you have forgotten.

These are just a few ideas to strengthen your roots before you go out into the hurricane of the world.

Knowing how life is, you are going to be tested with what you set out to do.

You will hold on to your path and run into a group of people going in the complete opposite direction. They might have a few words to say about your path. You might find yourself swaying in the opposite direction, beginning to question what you know your heart wants.

In the last second, your foundation (or a supportive individual) will kick in and awaken you from the spell of the crowd.

The gut instinct is to shut everything down. You will want to retract and be by yourself, closing yourself into a bubble. We need balance, and that, my dear, is not balance.

You just start to view life as a buffet.

You know what you like and what your path would like. You gravitate to the meals within the palette you carefully put together. You don’t demand that other foods be banished from the buffet because you don’t like them. You might dabble in it before you go back to the stuff you like, leaving the unfavorable food behind where they are.

You don’t overdose on the ultra-sweet or the deathly bitter. You try to have a plate that is mostly healthy and mostly you.

You don’t leave the buffet for long periods to starve with nothing to eat. You also need social nutrients.

You also don’t stay in the buffet forever eating everything. You go to where you need to be once you had your fill.

Balance is the key.

Sincerely,

Yourself.

Follow to grow together.